The framework within which a solution to the Cyprus issue is being
sought is the UN Security Council resolutions and the principles and
values of the European Union, prime minister Costas Karamanlis stressed
on Sunday, in a message marking the 35th 'anniversary' of the Turkish
invasion of Cyprus.

"The anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus is a day of
remembrance and tribute. It is, at the same time, an opportunity for
reaffirming the steadfast devotion of the entire Hellenism to the goal
of a permanent, just, functional and viable solution of the Cyprus
issue," the premier said in a written message.

"The framework within which the solution is sought is a given fact: It
is the resolutions of the UN Security Council. It is the values and
principles of the European Union," the message said.

"The agreement that we all hope will emerge from the ongoing
negotiations must bear the stamp of both communities, without the
interventions of third parties and without manufactured timetables. The
basis of the negotiation is a bizonal, bi-communal federation with a
single sovereignty, a single international personality and a single
nationality," the premier continued.

"Thirty-five years after the Cyprus tragedy, Greece and the Greek
people 'do not forget'. We are fighting -- and we will fight to the
final vindication -- for the demolition of the last remaining wall
which, unfortunately still remains standing, on European territory,"
the message concluded.

Representatives of the political leadership of Greece and Cyprus and
the Greek military leadership attended memorial events in Athens on
Sunday honoring the resistance against the Turkish occupation of
Cyprus, ahead of Monday's events that will mark the 35th 'anniversary'
of the June 20, 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

The two-day events are organised by the Association of Cypriots of
Greece and the Cypriot Embassy in Athens.

Speakers at Sunday's events voiced concern that the 35-year delay in
resolving the Cyprus issue was rendering the Turkish occupation of the
northern part of the island republic a permanent situation.

Apart from church services, Sunday's events including a wreath-laying
ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in central Syntagma Square,
as well as the inauguration of a two-day exhibition at the Syntagma
Metro station.

Representing the government at Sunday's events, deputy development
minister George Vlachos stressed that the only exit from the impasse
the Cyprus issue was in was the path of conciliation, adding that the
collective security and prosperity of the Cypriot people and respect of
the human rights was a condition for any solution reached.

"We look forward to a united and free Cyprus i which all its
inhabitants will live equally, regardless of language, nationality and
relibion," Vlachos concluded.

On behalf of the Greek parliament, House vice-president Anastasios
Nerantzis said that the continuing Turkish provocations were proof that
Turkey's practice remained unchanged, and warned that this would be
taken into consideration by the international and European
communities.

An inter-party delegation of the Greek parliament was in Nicosia on
Sunday for events marking the 35th 'anniversary' of the 1974 Turkish
invasion of Cyprus.

The Hellenic parliament delegation is led by ruling New Democracy MP
Krinio Kanellopoulou, who also chairs the parliamentary committee on
foreign affairs and defence, ND deputy Maria Kolla-Tsaroucha, main
opposition PASOK MP Alexandros Athanassiadis, Communist Party of Greece
(KKE) MP Haralambos Haralambous, Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA)
MP Sophia Andriopoulou, and Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) MP George
Georgiou.

In the morning, the delegation attended a memorial service for the 56
officers and conscripts of the Greek Force in Cyprus (ELDYK) who died
in the Turkish invasion, as well as a service for the recovery of the
37 ELDYK men who went missing in the invasion.

Wreaths were laid at the ELDYK monument by Cyprus defence minister
Costas Papacostas, Greece's ambassador to Cyprus Vassilis Papaioannou
on behalf of the Greek government, MP Kanellpoulou on behalf of the
Greek parliament, and ELDYK commander colonel George Thalassinos.

Kanellopoulou told ANA-MPA that the Hellenic parliament honors the
heros who died or went mission in the Turkish invasion, which she said
was "one of the most dramatic moments in the history of Cyprus and
Greece".

"It is our duty to fight with all our strength for a just and viable
solution of the Cyprus issue," she added.

President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias was bestowed the Venizelos
Award by the Pan Cretan Association of America, the organisation's top
award, during the association's 41st convention in Heraklion, Crete.

The award was presented to Papoulias at a ceremony on Saturday evening,
durin which the Association's president Manolis Velivassakis noted that
the award was being presented to the President of the Hellenic Republic
in a gesture of appreciation for his contribution to the ecumenical
Hellenism.

Papoulias, in turn, expressed great joy in being on Crete once again
and warmly thanked the Association for the honor bestowed on him.

He said he felt Crete was like a home to him, since his grandfather,
Lt. Napoleon Papoulias, had been heavily wounded during the 1897 battle
of Voukolia for the town's liberation.

Papoulias also noted that the late statesman Eleftherios Venizelos,
after whom the award is named, had undisputably been one of the biggest
figures of modern-day Hellenism, and his struggles, political
abilities, acuteness of spirit in difficult eras had placed their seal
on the country's course.

Greece, he added, does not forget Crete's contribution during the hard
times, such as the Turkish yoke, the Balkan wars with the Cretan
volunteers in Epirus and Macedonia, and the Battle of Crete during the
nazi occupation.

Papoulias further congratulated the Association for its dynamic and
impressive work in the US.

Present at the ceremony, among other officials, was foreign minister
Dora Bakoyannis, who inaugurated the convention.

A banquet was also held in Papoulias' honor on Saturday night, hosted
by the secretary general of the Crete Periphery Serafeim Tsokas and
addressed by Bakoyannis and Tsokas.

Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA parliamentary alliance)
parliamentary group leader Alekos Alavanos presented a 10-point
analysis on the outcome of the recent Europarliament elections, the
political situation in Greece and the alliance's operational matters,
addressing the closing session of a two-day SYRIZA nationwide body
meeting on Sunday.

Referring to SYRIZA's drop in percentages in the Euroelections,
Alavanos asked "why shouldn't we be the third party in the Europolls",
noting that that had been a difficult mission "but not outside our
abilities".

He said that although SYRIZA's momentum had been greatly diminished,
"it is nevertheless not a 'shipwreck'," and attributed blame for the
electoral result to the alliance's steering organ as well as to
himself.

Alavanos explained that there were differing views among the component
trends of SYRIZA, but noted that it was possible for all the trends to
unite behind a common prospect.